Civilian Extraterritorial Jurisdiction Act of 2016 or the CEJA
This bill amends the federal criminal code to grant jurisdiction over and impose penalties on federal contractors and employees who commit certain crimes outside of the United States while employed by or accompanying any agency of the United States other than the Department of Defense or while so employed and stationed or deployed in a country outside of the United States pursuant to a treaty or executive agreement in furtherance of a border security initiative with that country.
The bill provides for an optional venue for offenses under this bill involving federal employees and contractors overseas in the district in which is headquartered the U.S. agency that: (1) employs the offender, or any one or two or more joint offenders; or (2) the offender is accompanying, or that any one or two or more joint offenders is accompanying.
It requires the statute of limitations for an offense under this bill to be suspended for the period during which the alleged offender is outside the United States or is a fugitive from justice.
It grants the Department of Justice (DOJ) principal authority for the enforcement of this bill. DOJ must: (1) assign personnel and resources through task forces to investigate allegations of criminal offenses by federal contractors and employees overseas, and (2) report to Congress annually on the number of prosecutions and actions taken.
This bill does not apply to the authorized intelligence activities of the U.S. government.